Shakespeare’s Tragedies
Reading Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear with fresh eyes.
Prof. Thomas ReedProfessor Emeritus of English · University of Wisconsin–Madison Academic affiliation verifiedSelected Tragedies
A reading, together.LIVE SEMINAR · AUTUMN 2026About this seminar
Reading Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear with fresh eyes. In this small seminar, we’ll make time for the details that a first reading can miss—and for the questions that don’t have easy answers.
Across 6 evenings, we’ll read slowly and talk openly. Prof. will offer context and guide our discussion, but the heart of each meeting is a conversation: what surprised us, what troubled us, and what we might see differently together.
Bring a marked-up book, your questions, and a willingness to change your mind.
What we’ll explore
What does this work ask of its reader?
How does its historical moment shape its ideas?
Where do its arguments challenge our own assumptions?
What becomes clearer when we read together?
Our reading plan
A little preparation. A much richer conversation.
WEEK 1Entering the work
Read the assigned selection from Selected Tragedies. Bring one passage you’d like to discuss and a question it raises. Allow 2–3 hours of reading.
WEEK 2Language and context
Read the assigned selection from Selected Tragedies. Bring one passage you’d like to discuss and a question it raises. Allow 2–3 hours of reading.
WEEK 3The central questions
Read the assigned selection from Selected Tragedies. Bring one passage you’d like to discuss and a question it raises. Allow 2–3 hours of reading.
WEEK 4Reading against the grain
Read the assigned selection from Selected Tragedies. Bring one passage you’d like to discuss and a question it raises. Allow 2–3 hours of reading.
WEEK 5Connections and complications
Read the assigned selection from Selected Tragedies. Bring one passage you’d like to discuss and a question it raises. Allow 2–3 hours of reading.
WEEK 6What we take with us
Read the assigned selection from Selected Tragedies. Bring one passage you’d like to discuss and a question it raises. Allow 2–3 hours of reading.
Who this is for
You don’t need a degree or a background in literature. You do need curiosity, a willingness to read before we meet, and respect for perspectives different from your own. First-time readers and returning readers are equally welcome.
Prof. Thomas Reed
Professor Emeritus of English
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Thomas has spent thirty years teaching Shakespeare as a living conversation about power, love, and responsibility.
Meet Prof. Thomas ReedA note on our evenings
- Live, professor-led discussion in a small cohort
- Read before each meeting; a reading guide is included
- Cameras encouraged, and listening is welcome too
- A shared conversation, with room for disagreement
From fellow readers
“Elena helped us notice things I had read straight past. The conversations stayed with me well into the following week.”
Verified attendee · August 2026“A thoughtful group and a professor who made space for real questions. The reading was demanding, but very worthwhile.”
Verified attendee · August 2026“I appreciated the balance of context and discussion. I came away with a fuller understanding, and a few new questions.”
Verified attendee · August 2026